Over 450,000 Pakistanis Left the Country in 2023 So Far in Search of Jobs Abroad

In the first seven months of 2023, more than 450,000 Pakistanis left the country in search of better job opportunities abroad.

According to data obtained from the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment, 450,110 Pakistanis were registered for overseas employment in the first seven months of the current calendar year i.e. till July.

A breakdown of the statistics shows that 192,188 out of those who left the country in the period under review were laborers while 96,466 were drivers. Those who left the country also included 4,705 engineers, 4,431 accountants, 1,925 doctors, and 764 teachers.

The occupational group-wise breakdown issued by the bureau shows that out of those who left, 12,787 were highly qualified while 26,405 were highly skilled.

Out of the total, 205,515 workers migrated to Saudi Arabia, 121,745 to the United Arab Emirates, 35,637 to Qatar, and 34,140 left Pakistan for Oman. Other notable countries on the list include Malaysia (16,166), Bahrain (7,441), Greece (2,565), Romania (3,275), and Iraq (2,119).

It is pertinent to mention here that the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment data pertains to people who have registered with the Bureau. People who move abroad for studies or through other routes such as direct immigration are not included in this list.

Last year, 832,339 Pakistanis proceeded abroad for the purpose of employment, the highest figure since 2016.

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